Signature · 9.3% SNAP (8th pct in MA)
Middlesex County, MA
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Middlesex County residents. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert here and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it, from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 24.6%
- low-access pop.
- 10
- food-desert tracts
- 9.3%
- on SNAP
- 1.6M
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Middlesex County, MA
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-CLUSTER · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-GAP · DENSITY-THIN
- LA-ELEVATED 24.6% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +2.5 pts vs US
- LILA-CLUSTER 10 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 9.3% SNAP
- VEH-GAP 10.3% no vehicle
- DENSITY-THIN 3% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Hampden County ( -0.8 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Middlesex County ranks #1,321 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #10 of 14 counties in MA (24.6% low-access; 10 food-desert tracts).
- #1,321
- national by low-access %
- #10
- in MA
- 127
- low-access tracts
- 39K
- food-desert residents
Low access = living more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket. Food deserts add a low-income condition (USDA LILA).
Signature read: 9.3% SNAP (8th pct in MA) (-2.8 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Middlesex County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Middlesex County's 24.6% low-access share is elevated, higher than 58% of them and ranked #1,323 most-affected nationwide.
Middlesex County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
317 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 10 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Middlesex County has 300 urban and 17 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Middlesex County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Massachusetts, not a full county-board reprint
- Barnstable
Barnstable 51%
51 % low-access
- Essex
Essex 30.1%
30.1 % low-access
- Bristol
Bristol 26.4%
26.4 % low-access
- Middlesex
Middlesex 24.6%
24.6 % low-access
- Hampden
Hampden 23.8%
23.8 % low-access
- Franklin 19.1
Franklin 19.1%
19.1 % low-access
- Suffolk 1
Suffolk 1%
1 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 317 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 1,503,085 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 127 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 10 |
| Low-Access Population | 370,257 |
| Low-Access Share | 24.6%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 38,679 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 1,638,365 |
| Median Household Income | $130,847 |
| Poverty Rate | 7.7%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 59,014 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 9.3%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 10.3%above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.6% |
Thick SNAP store book in Middlesex County
Middlesex County has 910 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 2 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 191 locations (21% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 191
- angelina's convenience, lowell
- brown & budnick meats, dracut
- balaji indian groceries, malden
- broadway marketplace, cambridge
- cvs 10601, watertown
- cvs pharmacy #654 0654, acton
- cvs pharmacy #706 0706, acton
- cvs pharmacy #730 0730, sudbury
- cvs pharmacy #736 0736, bedford
- cvs pharmacy 0604, concord
- cvs pharmacy 1001, malden
- cvs pharmacy 1002, cambridge
- cvs pharmacy 1010, medford
- cvs pharmacy 1012, watertown
- cvs pharmacy 1018, watertown
- cvs pharmacy 1022, cambridge
- cvs pharmacy 1034, framingham
- cvs pharmacy 1121, westford
- cvs pharmacy 114, waltham
- cvs pharmacy 1885, littleton
- cvs pharmacy 220, marlborough
- cvs pharmacy 26, medford
- cvs pharmacy 2680, groton
- cvs pharmacy 400, chelmsford
- cvs pharmacy 717, cambridge
- cvs pharmacy 10039, wayland
- cvs pharmacy 10083, woburn
- cvs pharmacy 1023, burlington
- cvs pharmacy 1056, lowell
- cvs pharmacy 10681, hopkinton
- cvs pharmacy 107, newtonville
- cvs pharmacy 10891, cambridge
- cvs pharmacy 11400, somerville
- cvs pharmacy 1143, north reading
- cvs pharmacy 1179, hudson
- cvs pharmacy 119, wakefield
- cvs pharmacy 1215, cambridge
- cvs pharmacy 131, north billerica
- cvs pharmacy 155, winchester
- cvs pharmacy 159, melrose
- cvs pharmacy 183, billerica
- cvs pharmacy 1845, wilmington
- cvs pharmacy 1848, belmont
- cvs pharmacy 1858, newton center
- cvs pharmacy 1860, holliston
- cvs pharmacy 1871, framingham
- cvs pharmacy 1874, wayland
- cvs pharmacy 1875, ashland
- cvs pharmacy 2055, tewksbury
- cvs pharmacy 2125, natick
- cvs pharmacy 217, tewksbury
- cvs pharmacy 224, reading
- cvs pharmacy 240, cambridge
- cvs pharmacy 25, belmont
- cvs pharmacy 278, arlington
- cvs pharmacy 301, stoneham
- cvs pharmacy 5493, lowell
- cvs pharmacy 5939, burlington
- cvs pharmacy 632, dracut
- cvs pharmacy 6505, newton hlds
- cvs pharmacy 665, woburn
- cvs pharmacy 672, malden
- cvs pharmacy 8319, somerville
- cvs pharmacy 8906, malden
- cvs pharmacy 973, maynard
- cvs pharmacy 983, dracut
- cvs pharmacy cvs11242, cambridge
- cvs pharmacy cvs11399, melrose
- cvs pharmacy inc. 130, arlington
- cvs pharmacy inc. 291, waltham
- cvs pharmacy inc. 307, lexington
- cvs pharmacy inc. 46, west newton
- cvs/pharmacy 148, waltham
- cvs/pharmacy 1851, framingham
- cvs/pharmacy 714, somerville
- carranzas market corporation 1, everett
- concord market on campus, cambridge
- dollar general 19115, cambridge
- dollar tree 1554, tyngsboro
- dollartree 10099, sudbury
- dollartree 10185, reading
- dollartree 8661, burlington
- dollartree 9497, marlborough
- debra's natural gourmet, concord
- dollar general 15726, dracut
- dollar general 19118, framingham
- dollar general 19119, gloucester
- dollar general 19122, lowell
- dollar general 25251, wilmington
- dollar tree 1876, ashland
- dollar tree 3003, somerville
- dollar tree 3736, wilmington
- dollar tree 3807, tewksbury
- dollar tree 3911, hudson
- dollar tree 4237, north reading
- dollar tree 4244, billerica
- dollar tree 4289, malden
- dollar tree 4794, woburn
- dollar tree 5096, malden
- dollar tree 5636, framingham
- dollar tree 5827, wakefield
- dollar tree 5929, marlborough
- dollar tree 5935, lowell
- dollar tree 6561, somerville
- dollar tree 7312, acton
- dollar tree 7697, marlborough
- dollar tree 7698, westford
- dollar tree 7895, everett
- dollar tree 7917, natick
- dollar tree 8465, groton
- dollar tree 8877, hudson
- donelan's of acton 012, acton
- donelan's of littleton 011, littleton
- donelan's of wayland 018, wayland
- donelans supermarket 013, lincoln
- elma food market, everett
- engo impex, waltham
- family dollar 10090, dracut
- family dollar 11441, lowell
- family dollar 11443, ayer
- family dollar 2214, townsend
- family dollar 4288, waltham
- family dollar 5274, everett
- family dollar 7517, ashland
- family dollar store 2704, lowell
- family dollar store 3578, woburn
- gcn distribution & services, framingham
- godwin african market, lowell
- godwin african market 2, lowell
- golden marketing inc dba /safy 2, malden
- gyumri armenian bakery, watertown
- india bazaar, malden
- indian basket, lowell
- indo american convenience store, acton
- liam's market, waltham
- new oriental supermarket, littleton
- ocean state job lot 217, marlborough
- ocean state job lot 242, medford
- ocean state job lot 247, tewksbury
- ocean state job lot 248, waltham
- ocean state job lot 250, bedford
- ocean state job lot 252, north reading
- salgueros market ii, waltham
- shree ferry market 1, everett
- spiceland, burlington
- the corner store, everett
- true love caribbean store, somerville
- union market, somerville
- vista hermosa market inc, marlborough
- walgreens 03112, arlington
- walgreens 07220, chelmsford
- walgreens 3251, waltham
- walgreens 01851, natick
- walgreens 01855, framingham
- walgreens 01864, arlington
- walgreens 02861, framingham
- walgreens 02889, marlborough
- walgreens 03496, everett
- walgreens 03548, stoneham
- walgreens 05075, tewksbury
- walgreens 10168, medford
- walgreens 10342, melrose
- walgreens 11499, north reading
- walgreens 13081, newton
- walgreens 13642, lowell
- walgreens 17165, cambridge
- walgreens 17166, hudson
- walgreens 17212, townsend
- walgreens 17464, pepperell
- walgreens 17531, somerville
- walgreens 17570, wayland
- walgreens 17728, everett
- walgreens 17938, woburn
- walgreens 18065, ashland
- walgreens 18091, somerville
- walgreens 18415, reading
- walgreens 1863, lexington
- walgreens 18952, billerica
- walgreens 19455, concord
- walgreens 19460, medford
- walgreens 19487, cambridge
- walgreens 19806, acton
- walgreens 21288, woburn
- walgreens 2330, newton highlands
- walgreens 2669, waltham
- walgreens 2945, somerville
- walgreens 3130, malden
- walgreens 3508, wakefield
- walgreens 4966, malden
- walgreens 6739, lowell
- walgreens 9966, westford
Convenience Store · 59
- 1 bridle market, billerica
- 1460 middlesex gas inc, lowell
- 296 irving convenience store, framingham
- 350 food mart, somerville
- 47 market inc., chelmsford
- 7 eleven 32461, watertown
- 7 eleven 34388a 34388a, concord
- 7 star grocery inc, arlington
- 7-eleven 16019a, wakefield
- 7-eleven 32473d, somerville
- 7-eleven 33550a, cambridge
- 7-eleven 15451e, marlborough
- 7-eleven 32481a, north billerica
- 7-eleven 33097h, lowell
- 7-eleven 33486, cambridge
- 7-eleven 34400b, everett
- 7-eleven 34412b, pepperell
- 7-eleven 37358a, lowell
- 7-eleven 37378a, everett
- 7-eleven 37496a 408, dracut
- 7-eleven 40078h, newton center
- 7-eleven 40081h, everett
- 7-eleven store 26561g, malden
- 7-eleven 11510e 11510, billerica
- 7-eleven 11517f, lowell
- 7-eleven 20430f, cambridge
- 7-eleven 30238d, north reading
- 7-eleven 34390c, natick
- 7-eleven 35827b, cambridge
- 7-eleven 37342c, lowell
- 7-eleven 37345a, somerville
- 7-eleven 37372a 37372, medford
- 7-eleven 37377a 37377, everett
- 7-eleven 37427b, waltham
- 7-eleven 37456, newton highlands
- 7-eleven 37501a 37501a, tewksbury
- 7-eleven 37510c, newton
- 7-eleven 37518b 37518, everett
- 7eleven 11506, woburn
- a & p spinners market & liquor llc, westford
- a v's market, framingham
- a&a liquors and market, dracut
- a-1 gulf, framingham
- a1 foodmart, lowell
- alltown fresh hudson 784, hudson
- ashland convenience store, ashland
- acton gulf gas, acton
- adinath associates inc, lowell
- aggies place, somerville
- al prime - dracut 159, dracut
- alltown billerica 2743, north billerica
- alltown fresh ayer 769, ayer
- alltown fresh hopkinton 2766, hopkinton
- alltown fresh marlborough 2722, marlborough
- alltown lowell 2718, lowell
- amal fuel, lowell
- ams stores llc, lowell
- andreas convenience store, stoneham
- andy's convenience, tewksbury
Showing 250 of 910 authorized retailers, largest categories first.
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Massachusetts
One of 13 counties in Massachusetts, 6 are shown here.
Compare Middlesex County vs Barnstable County → · All Massachusetts counties →
Nationwide peers for Middlesex County's low-access or SNAP share
SNAP-led peer set first for Middlesex County (9.3%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Massachusetts.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside MA (24.6% here).
- Jerome County, ID · 24.6% low-access
- Jerome County, ID · 24.6% low-access
- DeKalb County, GA · 24.6% low-access
- DeKalb County, GA · 24.6% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside MA (9.3% here).
- Marshall County, KY · 9.3% SNAP
- Marshall County, KY · 9.3% SNAP
- Jessamine County, KY · 9.3% SNAP
- Jessamine County, KY · 9.3% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Food access nationally, Massachusetts in context
Middlesex County sits inside Massachusetts (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Middlesex County, MA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 25017. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
Note: This page presents public USDA and Census data for informational purposes and is not professional advice. Figures reflect the cited dataset vintages and may differ from the most recent local conditions. How this data is sourced & verified.